Luminescent advertising sign



Y 1,693,059 0. B. SHULHOF LUMINESCENT ADVERTISING SIGN Filed Aug. 11, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 27, 1928.

IN VEN TOR.

055019.15 ulhof ATTORNEY Nov. 21, 1928,

o. B. SHULHOF LUMI-NESCENT ADVERTISING sum I I Filed Aug. '11, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 70 source ofEZectrz'c fimrerzt Patent ed Nov.

or'ro B. SHULHOF, on NEW 2031:, N. r.

LUMINESCENT ADVERTISINQSIGN,

Application filed August 11, 1927. Serial No. 212,157.

invention relates to that class of signs I. in which the letters are illuminated by tubes filled with conductive gases and more par.

ticularly to signs of this character in which theletters are individually formed and are interchangeable andremovable.

At the present time 'signs formed of glass tubes filledwith conductive gases, ordinarily neon gas and other gases which give various colors upon passage of electric current, are in use. In, such signs, however, the entire legend 'is'formed of a single tube and-cannot be changedewithout replacing the sign in its'entirety. They are, n1oreover,"limited in the style of lettering which can be employed. The most successful of such signs are those that consist of a single tube forniing Words spelled, out in cursory script. Roman or block lettering is difficult to'produce in the signs at present in use. Also the method of mounting the tubes is such vas to occasion breakage unless very carefully handled. v

It is an object of the present invention to furni'slrlumin'escent signs which are adaptable to any style of lettering and in which each individual letter consists of a separate tube. It is a further object to provide such signs having letters which are removable and replaceable, or, which may be transposed as desired, v

In applying my invention, I employ a separate panel for each letter, said panel being preferably of insulating material such as bakelite, but Woodor metal may be used. Upon this panel a letterof the style desired formed preferablyof the same material as the panel is superposed. Through the center edges of the letter and sloping down to the.

of each stroke or bar of. the'letter, a groove or channel is made to run lengthwise of the stroke or bar of said letter. This channel is adapted and arranged to accommodate the -luminescent tube which is shaped to conform,

to the letter'andwhich may-be fastenedthere in by thin'hoops' or hands anchbred in the material on either side of said channel. The

margin of the superposed letter on either side of the channel in which the luminescent tube is placed maybe beveled to said channel,-the beveled surface being high on the outside channel. This beveled surface may be painted. or enameled in a color harmonizing- With-that of the gas in the tube when luminescent. At the portion of the superposed letters where the. ends'of the luminescent letter come in the channel, openings entirely and extend behind the panelwithin a casing. The casing or cabinet is provided on i one sideiwith anfopening of suflicient size to accommodate the panels that spell the desired Word or Words. This opening is funnished With-slots along the upper and lower sides thereof and the panels are slid into these in proper order and so held. Within the casing or cabinet, trodes of each panel protrude the unsightly electrical connections ,are made and being Wholly enclosed are not seen. .-As luminescent tubes require. a very highvoltage, a suitable transformer may also be placed Within the cabinet and suitable connections made therefrom with an external source of electric current and with the electrodes at the back of the. panels. I

v The invention may be more clearly under stood from the drawings inwhich Fig. I shows a simplepanel containing a letter of the invention. Fig. I isa' section through A'A"of Fig. I:' Fig. II shows the same panel in sectional elevation with the elec trodes and the electrode shells iI 1 place. Fig. III shows in perspective a complete sign of the invention set in its cabinet andFig. IV, is a sectional elevation thereof showing the transformer in place within the cabinet. Fig. V shows-partly diagrammatically the system of. electrical connections serving a sign of the,invention.

Referring now to Fig. I and Fig. I, a letter. a, composed preferably of an electrically insulating material such as bakelite, is superimposed upon the panel, I), of the same material. The letter itself in the form shown is high at the edges, 0, and beveled down to a channel, 03, running through the center of said letter. In this channel a luminescent tube, 6, formed in the shape of the letter is placed and held tightly therein by the rings, '11 This luminescent tube is filled with a conductive gas, such as neon, and its electrodes are bent back and protrudethrough the openings, f and f at either end of the into which the elecletter. It will thus be 0 served that the some- What unsightly electrodes and their connec tions are out of. sight of a person looking at the sign. A suitable shell or casing may be employed to cover this electrode and to that end may be fastened at the back ofthe panel as a protection against breakage of the electrode chamber or of the tube where it passes .throu-gh. Such a shell is shown in Fig. II at g, and may be of the form described and claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 211,956.

Fig. II which is a sectional elevation of the panel shows the edge of the letter, a, raised above thelevel of the panel, I). The luminescent tube, 6, with its electrode chambers, h and. h, are shown in dotted lines, the latter extending through the-panel and encased in the electrode shells, g and g.

In Fig. III the method of mounting these panels in the sign is illustrated. An enclosed cabinet or casing, 71, is employed to house the panels and electrical connections thereof. In the front of said cabinet an oblong opening of sufficient sizeto accommodate the number of panels needed to spell the desired word 'is provided with slots, is, and 70 at top and bottom thereof. are placed and position. J v o In Fig. IV the cabinet is shown in sec: tional elevation with-the panel, I), in position in the slots it." and la. The electrodes, 9. and g, extend within the'cabinet. A transformer indicated at Z, adapted to raise the voltage of the current sufliciently to operate the luminescent tubes ofthe sign is also placed'within thecabinet and connected with an external source of electrlc currentby the lead wires,

each letter slid 'into its proper luminescent tube in the groove orchannel as- It will be observed that by mounting a described and binding it there tightly'with the thin bands, n, there is little or no strain exerted upon the tube or its mountings. The

tube is further proteetedby placingv the electrode shells over the ends'of the tube containin the electrodes wherethey protrude through the back of the panel.

inventionare illustrated in Fig. V which represents the back of the sign Each letter has two electrodes, one at each end of the luminescent tube forming the light giving-element of the letter, and indicated at 0. Insulated wires, p, connect one of the electrodes of one letter with, The connections, 1-, and-s, lead td thetransformer, t, which in turnisconnected with a source-of electric current as indicated.

Thisis a considerable improvement over the present art in which it is customarvwhen 'mounting luminescent tubes upon a sign to support them on posts away fromthe surface of the sign board on which they are mounted or as is done in" some cases tosupport the entire tube by its electrodes. This latter arrangement subjects the tubes to a strain which frequently results in breakage or leakage.v

Having thus'described my invention what I-claim is:.-

Into these slots the panels one of the electrodes of the next letter.-v

1. A sign comprising a plurality of panels,

a letter form superimposed on each panel, a

,for, connecting said transformer with an ex- I tern'alsource'o'f electrical current and wlth the luminescent llghting means of each panel, 7

. groove,

7 ,,tube. .The electricalfc'onnections of a sign of this said transformerand said connections being positioned within said housing.

2. In a sign, superimposed thereon, a beveled and grooved channel centrally positioned in said letter form and'conforming to the shape thereof,

a panel'having a letter form said groove being at the apex of the beveled channel, a luminescent tube positioned in said tube snugly in saidgroove,

openings through said letter form and said panel adapted and arranged to permit the electrodes of said luminescent tube to project through said panel whereby 'the electrical connections of said 3. In a luminescent sign, means for mount means for holding said luminescent luminescent tube maybe made at the back of I I v said panel.

ing a luminescent tubeQcOmprising a panel of electrically non-conductive material, a form superimposed thereon consisting of the same material, said form being in the shape of a letter the surface of which is beveled down towards the center of each bar of said letter, i l i afgroove at the lowest' part ofsaid beveled surface adapted andarranged to receives'aid luminescent tube and holes through said lettenform and said panel adapted and arranged to receive the electrodes of said luminescent 4. The combination ina'letter'forsigns,iof

a panel upon which is fixed a member having the shape of asign character, a grooved and 'beveled channel in the character member adapted to seat a luminescent tube of like conformation, said groove being at the apex' of the beveled channel each of the extremi-.

tiesof said tube extending backwardly through both the character member and the panel, electrodes on each of said tube extrem- V ities and electrode shells covering. saidelec-.

trodes and aflixed to theback of said panel. I

5. In a sign, the'combination of a plurality of abutting panels, each of Which-carries a member having the shape of a sign character having a beveled'jand grooved channel in which is seated a luminescent tube of like convformation, said groove being at the apex of the beveled channel the extremities of each ofsaid tubes extending backwardlyt-hrough bothits' charactermember'and anel, electrodes onthe extremities of each 0 said tubes,

electrically to electrode shells covering said electrodes and aifixedto the back of said panel and means connect all of said tubes in se r1es. *i

6; The combination in a letter for signs of a panel upon which is superimposed a character; said character having a beveled and grooved channel oflike contour vvherein the oove of the channel is located at the apex of fife beveled channel and is adapted to receive 10 an illuminating tube.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subthis 1st day of Au%ust, 1927.

scribed-my name OTTO B. S

HOF. 

